Foresight
by Untold Harmony
Summary: Hermione and Lavender were never close friends and the events of their sixth year strained that relationship even more. However, it seems like the blonde witch knows something about Hermione that even she didn't know about herself. A little bit of foresight can go a long way. A Sixth year fic inspired by a prompt. [One-Shot]


Hermione busied herself with packing. Earlier that day, Harry had taken her and Ron aside and told them of his plans to not return to Hogwarts for their seventh year. It surprised Hermione at first that she didn't even pause to think before she said that she would stay with him. But now, as she neatly folded clothes and put them in her trunk, she knew without a doubt that it was a choice she would make over and over again.

Harry came first. Before her studies and her plans; before everything else. So _what_ if she would be delayed in finishing school? He needed her even if he didn't know it. But Hermione knew, of course, and she knew that she needed Harry too.

As she was levitating her books into her trunk, the opening and closing of the dormitory door drew her attention behind. She turned her head to see Lavender Brown enter. The blonde witch was alone (which was a rarity since Parvati was usually with her) and she had a pensive look on her pretty face. Hermione turned her attention back to packing and an uneasy silence filled the air.

The relationship between Hermione and Lavender remained… _strained_, to say the least. They were never close friends to begin with since they were so different from each other, but the events of their sixth year (especially Lavender's relationship with a certain redhead) caused this friendship to be even more strained. Hermione knew she didn't hate Lavender and would even say that she _liked_ the blonde witch. But Hermione also knew that she hadn't been the nicest to her.

From the corner of her eyes, Hermione saw the other Gryffindor walk to her bed and sit. She chewed her lip and contemplated. She wasn't going to be back for her seventh year and the Hogwarts Express was leaving tomorrow evening after Dumbledore's funeral. She might never _see_ Lavender again or have the opportunity to speak to her like this. Hermione closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned from where she was standing.

"Look, Lavender -"

"Hermione -"

A surprised giggle reached Hermione's ears and she opened her eyes to see Lavender sitting on her bed at the far end of the dormitory with a small smile on her face. Hermione cracked a smile too before she abandoned packing altogether and sat on her own bed facing the witch. With a row of beds between the two of them, the two witches looked at each other carefully.

Hermione chose to speak first. "Lavender, I _know_ we haven't been the best of friends and I haven't necessarily been the… the _easiest_ person to get along with, especially this year. I want to apologize for that. I'm really sorry for being mean to you." Hermione looked at Lavender as the blonde digested her apology. She looked thoughtful and considering and it took a long minute before a smile so radiant graced her face.

"Apology accepted, Hermione, but I need to apologize to you as well," Lavender replied. Hermione's brows furrowed in confusion.

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong," Hermione said.

Lavender sighed and rose from her bed. She walked closer to Hermione and sat directly in front of her. Their knees nudged each other and Lavender looked at her eagerly. "I'm sorry about the _Ron drama_."

A surprised laugh came from Hermione and she shook her head. "Really, there's _nothing_ to apologize for -"

"No, hear me out," Lavender insisted. "I genuinely liked Ron, you have to understand that. But when I saw how… how _jealous_ you were about him and me dating… well, I might have… played it up more."

"I don't understand…"

"I wanted to make you jealous," Lavender said bluntly. Hermione's eyes widened and Lavender sighed. "I know, it's silly. It's just… you're pretty and so smart, and you have the two of the most sought-after boys in school as your _best friends_. It was hard not to make comparisons and very easy to feel inferior against you."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Lavender, you can't be serious-"

Lavender grabbed her hands and squeezed. "But I _am_, Hermione. So, when I saw your reaction to us dating I felt like I… won," she said with a grimace. "In some way. Not like we were in any competition, I know, but I still felt victorious. It's kind of pathetic, huh? So… _that's_ what I wanted to apologize for," she explained. "Will you forgive me?"

Hermione was speechless even as Lavender looked at her with anticipation. She found herself nodding her head and was rewarded with a small squeal as Lavender hugged her. "_Thank you_," Lavender gushed as she squeezed Hermione tight. Hermione finally shook herself from her stupor and her arms circled the blonde. "That's been weighing down on me for a while now," Lavender admitted as she parted from the embrace. "But, I have to admit, I always found it curious."

"What's curious?" Hermione asked almost hesitantly. She really didn't know what else could possibly come from the Gryffindor witch. She didn't know if she could take any more surprises today.

"Your reaction," Lavender answered. She looked at the witch thoughtfully, her blue eyes probing and searching for _something_ within Hermione. "You and Ron are _very_ wrong for each other, you know? You didn't have to feel jealous."

"What… do you mean?" Hermione asked slowly. Was she _really_ getting into a conversation with Lavender about her _feelings_?

Lavender grabbed her hands again and Hermione watched the blonde's face with wonder. It was as if Lavender was seeing something only she could see. "You need someone strong and loyal… someone with the same temperament as you… someone who makes you truly _happy_," Lavender said. "You should be with someone you're willing to go to the end of the world for, and _they_ should be willing to do the same with you." When Hermione remained silent with shock at her proclamation, Lavender dropped the truth. "Which was why I found it curious that you were jealous over _Ron_ when there was somebody else that checks all the boxes."

The witch's blue eyes cleared and she winked at the brunette. After giving one more squeeze, Lavender let go of Hermione's hands and stood. "I'll see you at dinner," she said in farewell.

Lavender exited the room leaving Hermione deep in her thoughts.

* * *

She forgot about that conversation. No one could really blame her though since more pressing matters took priority in her mind. The following year was filled with action and despair. Harry, Hermione, and Ron hunted for the Horcruxes and Harry killed Voldemort. She then went to Australia to restore her parents' memories with Harry by her side. Facing her parents after their memories came back was one of the hardest things she had to do. And after that… life took precedence. She went back to Hogwarts to finish school under Headmistress McGonagall. She graduated. She went on to do her masteries and she finished that too. Now she worked at St. Mungo's as one of their newest healers.

The conversation would have been lost to Hermione if Lavender hadn't reminded her. As Hermione tried to look past all of the heads to find _him_, Lavender, in her light blue gown, leaned close and whispered.

"I told you so," she said with a knowing and mischievous smile.

Hermione tore her eyes from searching and settled on Lavender as the string quartet started to play.

"Told me what?" Hermione whispered. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Neville and Susan peel away from the group and start their march.

"Who you should be with," Lavender said. Her words sunk in and Hermione's eyes widened in remembrance as she recalled the conversation they had many moons ago. She remembered her confused teenage self sitting on her bed wondering what exactly Lavender had meant. She felt like a completely different person now, though Hermione knew that it had only been five years.

Who would've thought that she would be _here_ right at this moment? _She_ certainly didn't, but it seemed like a certain witch did. This same witch gave her a wink before she turned and gracefully walked down the rose-covered lane. Hermione watched the retreating back of her best friend with so much love and gratitude for making her _see_.

Lavender reached the end of the path and the music changed. All around them, the people rose from their seats. Her dad leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Are you ready, love?"

Hermione felt the tears form at the corner of her eyes and she willed herself not to cry. She glanced at her dad with a smile and nodded her head once. "I've never been more ready," she answered truthfully. Robert Granger smiled and wound her arm around his.

She clutched the bouquet with an iron-clad grip. She knew that hundreds of their friends and family lined the aisle and yet she saw nobody else but _him_.

Harry Potter stood at the end of the path waiting for her. When their eyes finally met, that boyish grin she loved so much lit up his face. She could see the tears forming in his own green eyes as she got closer to him. When she and her dad finally reached the altar and he handed her hand to Harry, she saw a tear slide down his cheek. Hermione reached up to brush it away and Harry broke all tradition and kissed her then and there.

She turned to her side to hand the bouquet to her Maid of Honour. Lavender took it silently and beamed at her.

Turning her attention back to her future husband, Hermione smiled at him and squeezed his hand. She felt Harry squeeze back.

He checked all the boxes indeed.

He made her stronger. He made her happier. He brought out the best in her.

He went to the end of the world for her and she, with him.

Together they lifted each other up to such great heights.

And, from that moment forward, they were going to build a future together.

She couldn't be happier.


End file.
